KAL Seat Numbering

[Tom Allensworth 1,532]

Here's a different topic that someone might educate me on. I flew Korea Air Lines round trip from Seoul to Ulsan and back last week. On my way down it was economy and on return, business class. A/C were brand new 737-800's. Beautiful aircraft and easy to ride within (except KAL really does cram economy class. :)Anway, I was given seat number 37A on the way down (or there abouts), and I thought, oh man, back of the bus. Nope. The number system on the KAL flight in economy started with something like row 48 at the front of the aircraft behind business and working its way toward the lower numbers as you went further back in the aircraft. Just the opposite from any other airlines in the world I have flown with. Business class was the same by the way. Can anyone explain this numbering approach and thereby educate me?

[John_Cillis 2,406]

Good topic to watch Tom. I've never heard of this, and I am curious too. -JohnP.S. If your travels ever take you to India, let me know. I will probably be there for a month or two within the next twelve weeks.John

[mgh 89]

I flew several times on KAL from London to Seoul a few years ago. The seat numbering was conventional then.

[Tom Allensworth 1,532]

Maybe it only has to do with inter-Korea flights?

[Guest PARADISE]

From which door do they board econ/bus. class? Front or rear?John M

[Guest PARADISE]

Sorry, ran out of edit time. The reason I asked which door they use is maybe they start their seat numbers from point of entry if, for example, they usually board from the rear door for bus/econ class.Just a thoughtJohn M

[Tom Allensworth 1,532]

On the two flights I took, they boarded from the front.

[Tom Allensworth 1,532]

Am in Tokyo posting this. On Tuesday morning we flew down to Nagasaki on an ANA 767-300, returning Wednesday afternoon on the same type a/c. Business class consisted of rows 1 and 2. Economy started with row 5 and there was no row 13. So, 5 through 12 and then 14 and upward with no bulkhead separation between 12 and 14. No rows 3, 4 and 13. The number 4 is bad luck in the Asian world, 13 is bad luck in the western world, but why no 3?

[BrianW 124]

It appears that they start all coach seating from row 28 in all aircraft types. Not sure what advantage that has. BrianKRNT

[John_Cillis 2,406]

The missing row 3 may just be a numbering scheme to keep their equipment in synch.This is a very good site for examining seating layouts between the various airlines:http://www.seatguru.com/I use it a lot, especially on overseas flights as I always prefer a window seat with an adjacent aisle seat if I can find equipment configured properly.-John

[Guest PARADISE]

I don't know why the irregularity of their seat numbers other than in some cultures it's believed that bad luck comes in threes and I know that in Vietnam it is considered to be bad luck to take a picture with three people in it. Bad luck for the people in the picture that is.If you want to have some fun though, tell the people in row 2 that, counting the flight crew seats and jump seat in the cockpit that they are actually sitting in the fourth row.From a business point of view it makes sense to omit some rows......it makes the plane appear fuller than it actually is. "All seats between rows 1 and 40 are filled". Of course you don't mention that there are no rows 3,4 and 13.John MJust a question regarding your earlier post on the Korean Air seating numbers that appear to be descending in order from the front. I don't know anything about the Korean language, but is it written/read from left to right, like we do, or right to left?

[tf51d 284]

>It appears that they start all coach seating from row 28 in>all aircraft types. Not sure what advantage that has. >>Brian>KRNT The only thing I can think of, is doing it this way, if they needed to change equipment, they wouldn't have to reseat many of the passengers, as the replacement aircraft would have the same row numbers in many cases. Only those passengers in the back rows if the replacement aircraft was smaller, and a few others would need to be rechecked.

[Guest P3_Super_Bee]

Hmmm...KAL's website shows the 738(A type) layout shows:2 rows of "Prestige" or business numbered 7 & 8.A whole crud load of Economy starting at row 28(at the front) and ending with row 53 at the back of the bus,(no numbers missing)and for the 738(B type):2 rows of "Prestige" numbered 7 & 8.For economy: rows 28 to 51 (no missing numbers)Very interesting topic indeed...http://publish.hometown.aol.com/p3superb/i...s/sign_name.jpg

[Tom Allensworth 1,532]

Yup.. that's what I observed. BTW... the Pestige class seat was probably the most comfortable business class seat I have flown in recently, and that includes UAL, Lufthansa and Etihade.

[vgbaron 3,486]

IIRC, he numbering system is setup to make the computerized seating/billing constant. The 747 for example has some seats upstairs which may be the missing seats in Prestige class on other configs. If you are in row 28, you are in economy class no matter which a/c you are on even though row 28 may be row 15 physically.VicVisit the Virtual Pilot's Centerwww.flightadventures.comhttp://www.hifisim.com/Active Sky V6 Proud SupporterRadar Contact Supporter: http://www.jdtllc.com/